Notre Dame bests Dexter 4-2

Dexter shortstop Chase Young forces out Notre Dame runner Justin Landewee at second before firing to first for the second half of a double play on Tuesday.
Brent Shipman, Staff

DEXTER -- If there was one thing lacking in the Dexter Bearcats' 4-2 loss to Notre Dame on Tuesday it wasn't opportunities.

In four separate innings the Bearcats managed to load the bases with the chance to jump on top of the undefeated Bulldogs.

With their hitters going a combined 0 for 9 in those situations, however, Dexter managed to squeeze home only a single run with the base paths full.

"It's scary to think how many runs we could have put on the board today against a very good team," Dexter head coach Brian Becker said. "We had opportunities all day long, but you have to give some credit to Notre Dame. They made the pitches when it counted.

"On 3-2 counts they threw strikes when they needed to and we just didn't get it done at the plate today."

Things looked promising early on for Dexter as came up in the bottom of the first and quickly made up for surrendering a run in the top of the inning.

Taking advantage of an infield error by Notre Dame, the Bearcats put runners on first and second before a one-out single to right field by Jordan Miller tied the game.

Though Miller's single and a follow up walk loaded the bases, two straight strikeouts by Notre Dame's Justin Landewee kept the game tied.

After Dexter allowed a leadoff single to Chase Simmons to start the second, it wasn't long before the Bulldogs were back on top. A walk and a sacrifice bunt moved Simmons to third, where he'd score from on a ground out to short.

Escaping a double play ball in the second at-bat of the third, Notre went on to tack another two runs onto their lead, starting with a passed ball to score Jon Lynch from third base.

Moving over on the same play, Cody Heisserer came home on a sacrifice fly to right field to put Notre Dame up 4-1.

"We had a double play ball and if we turn that then we get out of the inning without any runners scoring," Becker said. "But they end up tacking two runs after they took a 2-1 lead.

"Then I promptly come out the next inning and get Perry thrown out by 30 feet on a play at third base and that just kind of added to their momentum. It seems like we could never get over the hump today."

Dexter's final run of the game came in the fifth when the Bearcats took advantage of back-to-back hits from Chase Young and Miller to load the bases for the third time in the contest.

At third after an Alex Cliff walk, Young scored on a misplayed ball ball on the infield to close Dexter to within 4-2.

In stranding the final three runners of the fifth, as well as another three in the sixth frame, the Bearcats entered the bottom of the seventh inning still trailing by a pair of runs.

After a fly out and a strikeout left the Bearcats down to their final out, Cody Neldon gave his team some hope with a line drive to center field that brought the tying run to the plate.

With Neldon still on first, a hard hit grounder to the shortstop was fired to first for the third out to give the Bulldogs their seventh straight win to start the season.

"Whether you would chalk it up to luck or that you executed the guys on the mound made some big pitches when we asked them too," Notre Dame head coach Jeff Graviett said. "A lot of that trouble we created for ourselves and we were just able to pitch out for it. That was big today."

Going four innings, Landewee picked up the win for the Bulldogs. He gave up both runs on six hits, four walks and a hit batter while striking out six.

Coming in to get Notre Dame out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth, Jon Lynch earned the save as he pitched the final three innings, surrendering one hit and two walks. He struck out six.

"Those two guys have been doing it all year long," Graviett said. "Jon got a lot of time for us last year doing that kind of role, coming in toward the end of games and staying in there and being a bulldog for us."

Taking the loss was Miller in four innings of work. He surrendered four runs on four hits and two walks. Cliff came in for the final three innings, holding Notre Dame hitless while giving up two walks and striking out three.

Dexter outhit the Bulldogs 7-4 with Miller leading the charge with a 3 for 4 effort that included a double and a run batted in. Young, Cliff, Neldon and Overall all added a single to Dexter's cause.

Now at 5-3 on the year, the Bearcats will travel to Scott City on Thursday to play the Rams at 4:30 p.m.